Coconut Marzipan Cake Food

COCONUT MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan, and sprinkle flaked coconut over its bottom. Soften marzipan by heating it in a microwave oven, 10 to 15 seconds.
• In a food processor, combine marzipan, 8 ounces butter, the sugar and coconut extract. Process until mixture is very smooth. With processor running, break eggs one at a time through the feed tube. Stop processor and sprinkle cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt evenly over batter. Process again until mixture is smooth, making sure there are no lumps in batter.
• Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake until surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool in pan until slightly warm.
• To release cake from pan, cut around the edge with a thin knife. Holding a cake plate over the center tube of pan, invert cake so that it falls onto plate. Fill center of cake with berries and scatter remainder around perimeter of cake. Pass confectioners' sugar through a small sieve and sprinkle over cake and fruit. Serve immediately.

COCONUT CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides.
• Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Use a whisk to stir together. This will get rid of any lumps and pseudo-sift the ingredients. In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar, butter and sweetened cream of coconut until fluffy and it resembles whipped cream, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir to incorporate all the ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, beat in 1/2 the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, and the remaining dry ingredients, scraping down the sides in between each addition, just until blended.
• Using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in another clean large bowl until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Cook's Note: You want to get the most volume from your egg whites, that's why it is essential that the beaters and bowl are clean. Just to be safe, I like to wipe the bowl out with a dash of vinegar, white or apple cider is best. The vinegar cuts through any fat in the bowl leaving only a sparkling bowl behind. And don't worry, you won't be able to taste the vinegar-I promise!
• In batches, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, being careful not to deflate the whites. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Spread the batter with an offset spatula to level the batter in the pan. Bake the cakes until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Gently run a small sharp knife around the pan sides to loosen the cakes. Cook's Note: As the cakes cool they will shrink slightly, pulling away from the sides of the pan. By running the knife around the sides of the pan you are helping in the process by taking away any resistance. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and cool completely.
• With a pastry brush, gently brush any crumbs from the cooled cake layers. If the cake baked up with a slight dome in the center, you can trim it to even it out or just remember to place that cake layer dome-side down on the cake plate. Place 1 cake layer, flat-side up, on a cake plate. Spread 1 heaping cup Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting over the cake layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border of cake around the edge. This will give the filling a place to go or spread when the second cake layer is placed on top-you don't want it to bulge out the sides!
• Sprinkle 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut mix over the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, flat-side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. For a retro look, I like swoopy swirls. The best way to achieve it is to spread the frosting using the back of a spoon. It's that easy!
• Sprinkle the remaining coconut mix over the cake, gently pressing into the sides to adhere. Coconut Layer Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sugar, sweetened cream of coconut, vanilla extract and pinch of sea salt and beat until well blended, scraping down the sides as needed, for about 3 more minutes. Cook's Note: For a tropical twist, I add just a splash of fresh lime juice and a dash of finely grated lime zest to the mix!

MARZIPAN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND SLICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter. Add 1 tablespoon flour and coat the dish, shaking out any excess flour.
• Mix the almond paste and sugar on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one has been fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix just until combined. Pour into the prepared pie dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until just until scalding, about 3 minutes. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly so it is spreadable. Evenly frost the top of the cake with the ganache. Sprinkle the outer edges with the sliced almonds and decorate with the raspberries. Serve at room temperature.

CHERRY & MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and butter and line a 20cm round, loose-bottomed deep cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters or a tabletop mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 250g flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice and beat well till thick, creamy and evenly mixed.
• Toss cherries in the extra 2 tbsp flour and fold into the batter along with grated marzipan and almond essence (if using). Spoon into the prepared tin, level and bake for 1 hr 30 mins, or until well risen and golden. A skewer will come out clean when ready. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Mix the icing sugar with just over 1 tbsp water to make a loose but not-too-runny icing. Scatter the almonds over the top of the cake and position the 12 glace cherries around the edge, using a dot of the icing to fix. Drizzle the icing over the cake and finish with a scattering of orange zest.

MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 9" cake pan.
• Cream the almond paste with the butter and sugar.
• Mix in the almonds.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly with almond extract and add to the creamed mixture.
• Combine the flour and baking powder and stir into butter mixture.
• Mix with a few strokes as possible.
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Do not over bake!
• Heat water and preserves and brush on the top of warm cake.

COCONUT AND MARZIPAN MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until foamy. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Combine marzipan with 1/2 of the confectioners' sugar and rub with your fingers until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add coconut, remaining confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and rum. Mix well. Fold in stiff egg whites.
• Using 2 teaspoons, drop small dollops of mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the macaroons are golden but soft to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Place 3/4 of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate until melted.
• Dip 1/3 of each cooled macaroon into the melted chocolate. Set macaroons on waxed paper until chocolate has set. Store the macaroons in an airtight container, with waxed paper between the layers.

CHOCOLATE CHIP MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Grease and flour a 20 x 11 cm (8" x 4") loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift in flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder, fold in the batter.
• Mix chopped marzipan and chocolate chips in a bowl; set aside about 4 tablespoons and fold the rest into the cake batter mixture.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, level the top and sprinkle the reserved marzipan and chocolate chips on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until risen and firm. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning out to a wire rack to cool completely.

COCONUT-MARZIPAN BALLS

Steps:

• Knead marzipan, coconut, and powdered sugar together in a bowl, adding water if necessary. Shape into 24 balls and freeze on waxed paper for 30 minutes.
• Chop confectioners' coating and place in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Coat chilled marzipan balls with the melted chocolate and chill until chocolate has hardened.